Office of Thrift Supervision

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Office of Thrift Supervision

Bank and Thrift Agencies Issue Advisory on Influenza Pandemic Preparedness

The federal bank and thrift regulatory agencies today issued an interagency advisory to financial institutions and their technology service providers that is intended to raise awareness of the threat of a pandemic influenza outbreak and its potential impact on the delivery of critical financial services. The advisory discusses the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza and the roles and responsibilities this strategy outlines for financial institutions and advises financial institutions and their service providers to consider this and similar threats in their event response and contingency strategies.

The advisory, which is being issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and Office of Thrift Supervision, is attached.

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Media Contacts:

OCC	Dean DeBuck	(202)  874-5770
Federal Reserve	Susan Stawick	(202)  452-2955
FDIC	David Barr	(202)  898-6992
OTS	Chris Smith	(202)  906-6677

The Office of Thrift Supervision, an office of the Department of the Treasury, regulates and supervises the nation's thrift industry. OTS's mission is to ensure the safety and soundness of, and compliance with consumer protection laws by, thrift institutions, and to support their role as home mortgage lenders and providers of other community credit and financial services. OTS also oversees the activities and operations of thrift holding companies that own or control thrift institutions. Copies of OTS news releases and other documents are available at the OTS web page at www.ots.treas.gov.

Created: Wednesday, 3/15/2006